Methods, devices and systems for wireless communication using multi-link

Abstract

A wireless communication method of a first device with a second device using multiple links, including first and second links, the method including obtaining transmission-related information in response to entering a transmission preparation period of a first request-to-send (RTS) frame through the first link, the transmission-related information corresponding to a second RTS frame associated with the second link, determining at least one of an additional length or cross-link-related information of the first RTS frame based on the transmission-related information, and determining whether to transmit the second RTS frame based on the at least one of the additional length of the cross-link-related information of the first RTS frame.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A wireless communication method of a first device with a second device using multiple links, the multiple links comprising a first link and a second link, and the method comprising:
 obtaining transmission-related information in response to entering a transmission preparation period of a first request-to-send (RTS) frame through the first link, the transmission-related information corresponding to a second RTS frame associated with the second link;   determining cross-link-related information of the first RTS frame based on the transmission-related information; and   determining whether to transmit the second RTS frame based on the at least one of the additional length or the cross-link-related information of the first RTS frame,   wherein determining the cross-link-related information of the first RTS frame comprises:
 identifying a transmission timing of the second RTS frame based on the transmission-related information, 
 identifying whether the first link and the second link have a cross-link relationship based on a difference between a transmission timing of the first RTS frame and the transmission timing of the second RTS frame, 
 determining the cross-link-related information of the first RTS frame based on whether the first link and the second link have the cross-link relationship to obtain determined cross-link-related information, and 
   filling the first RTS frame with data corresponding to the determined cross-link-related information.   
     
     
         2 . The wireless communication method of  claim 1 , wherein the determining whether to transmit the second RTS frame comprises determining to omit transmission of the second R TS frame based on the first link and the second link being in the cross-link relationship. 
     
     
         3 . The wireless communication method of  claim 1 , wherein
 a format of the first RTS frame comprises a plurality of fields corresponding to the cross-link-related information; and   the plurality of fields comprise a first field indicating the multiple links, a second field indicating whether link sensing is to be performed for the multiple links, and a third field indicating resources allocated to the multiple links for transmission of clear-to-send (CTS) frames.   
     
     
         4 . The wireless communication method of  claim 3 , wherein the plurality of fields comprise at least one of:
 a fourth field indicating whether transmission of the CTS frame is possible through an alternative link with respect to the multiple links; and   a padding field filled with padding data having a variable length according to the additional length of the first RTS frame.   
     
     
         5 . The wireless communication method of  claim 1 , wherein
 a format of the first RTS frame comprises a plurality of individual fields corresponding to the cross-link-related information; and   each of the plurality of individual fields comprises a first subfield indicating a specific link, a second subfield indicating whether link sensing is to be performed for the specific link, and a third subfield indicating resources allocated to the specific link for transmission of a clear-to-send (CTS) frame.   
     
     
         6 . The wireless communication method of  claim 5 , wherein each of the plurality of individual fields comprises a fourth subfield indicating whether transmission of the CTS frame is possible through an alternative link with respect to the specific link. 
     
     
         7 . The wireless communication method of  claim 5 , wherein the format of the first RTS frame comprises a padding field in which padding data having a variable length is arranged according to the additional length of the first RTS frame. 
     
     
         8 . The wireless communication method of  claim 1 , wherein a format of the first RTS frame corresponds to any one of a plurality of trigger frame types corresponding to an IEEE 802.11ax standard. 
     
     
         9 . The wireless communication method of  claim 8 , wherein
 the format of the first RTS frame comprises a common information field and a user information field; and   the cross-link-related information of the first RTS frame is arranged in any one of the common information field or the user information field.   
     
     
         10 . A first device configured to communicate with a second device using multiple links, the multiple links comprising a first link and a second link, and the first device comprising:
 a radio frequency (RF) integrated circuit configured to provide access points respectively corresponding to the first link and the second link; and   processing circuitry configured to,
 obtain transmission-related information in a transmission preparation period of a first request-to-send (RTS) frame through the first link, the transmission-related information corresponding to a second RTS frame associated with the second link, 
 determine cross-link-related information of the first RTS frame based on the transmission-related information, and 
 determine whether to transmit the second R TS frame based on the at least one of the additional length or the cross-link-related information of the first RTS frame, 
   wherein a format of the first RTS frame comprises at least one of (i) a plurality of fields corresponding to the cross-link-related information or (ii) a plurality of individual fields corresponding to the cross-link-related information of the first RTS frame, and   wherein the plurality of fields comprise at least one of a first field indicating the multiple links, a second field indicating whether link sensing is to be performed for the multiple links, a third field indicating resources allocated to the multiple links for transmission of clear-to-send (CTS) frames, a fourth field indicating whether transmission of the CTS frames is possible through an alternative link with respect to the multiple links, or a fifth field filled with padding data having a variable length according to the additional length of the first RTS frame.   
     
     
         11 . The first device of  claim 10 , wherein
 each of the plurality of individual fields comprises at least one of a first subfield indicating a specific link, a second subfield indicating whether link sensing is to be performed for the specific link, a third sub-field indicating resources allocated to the specific link for transmission of clear-to-send (CTS) frames, and a fourth subfield indicating whether transmission of the CTS frames is possible through an alternative link with respect to the specific link.   
     
     
         12 . The first device of  claim 10 , wherein the processing circuitry is configured to control the access points to:
 transmit the first RTS frame to the second device through the first link, the first RTS frame comprising the cross-link-related information; and   omit transmitting the second RTS frame to the second device through the second link.   
     
     
         13 . The first device of  claim 12 , wherein
 the access points include a first access point and a second access point;   the first access point is configured to receive a first clear-to-send (CTS) frame via the first link from the second device based on the first RTS frame; and   the second access point is configured to receive a second CTS frame via the second link from the second device based on the first RTS frame, the first CTS frame and the second CTS frame being mutually aligned.   
     
     
         14 . A wireless communication system comprising:
 a first device; and   a second device, the first device and the second device being configured to communicate with each other through multiple links, wherein   the first device is configured to determine cross-link-related information of a first request-to-send (RTS) frame among a plurality of RTS frames based on transmission-related information of the plurality of RTS frames through the multiple links, and generate the first RTS frame based on the at least one of the additional length or cross-link-related information to transmit the first RTS frame to the second device through a first link among the multiple links,   wherein the first device is configured to:
 generate the first RTS frame based on the cross-link-related information; and 
 omit transmission of a second RTS frame among the plurality of RTS frames to the second device through a second link of the multiple links based on transmission of the first RTS frame. 
   
     
     
         15 . The wireless communication system of  claim 14 , wherein the second device is configured to:
 sense the second link based on the cross-link-related information based on the first RTS frame to obtain a sensing result; and   determine whether to transmit a clear-to-send (CTS) frame to the first device through the second link based on the sensing result.   
     
     
         16 . The wireless communication system of  claim 15 , wherein the second device is configured to:
 determine to transmit the CTS frame to the first device through the second link in response to the sensing result indicating that the second link is in a ready state; and   determine to transmit the CTS frame to the first device through an alternative link in response to the sensing result indicating that the second link is in a busy state.